Manchester City v Southampton betting preview: Free tips, prediction & latest Premier League odds for the game at the Etihad
Manchester City may not even get out of second gear again against Southampton on Sunday so we're looking at the corner market to bring home the bacon.
Recommended bets
2pts Man City to have 9+ corners at 11/10
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Man City v Southampton (Sunday November 4, 1500 BST)
It’s another home banker for champions Manchester City with struggling Southampton arriving at the Etihad looking unlikely to be able to drag pep Guardiola’s side out of second gear.
Saints have had successive 0-0 draws and have gone five Premier League games without scoring, and that form is hardly a frightening prospect for City to face up to - even without Kevin De Bruyne missing after his latest injury blow.
Guardiola’s men have barely broken sweat in their home league fixtures so far, winning all five at a canter in an aggregate of 18-2 scoreline – and I truth they could have scored many more goals on top of that.
Mark Hughes’ plan will be simply to defend and frustrate City and try and pinch something, anything, on the break or from set pieces – but that hasn’t worked for any team so far at the Etihad and it looks like being a long day at the office for the visitors.
Betting guide
Prediction: Manchester City 4-0 Southampton (Sky Bet odds: 13/2)
It’s a copy and paste job from all of City’s home games this season and it’s simply a case of how many they want to score really. Southampton will put up a fight but with so many options at Guardiola’s disposal it’s a losing battle I’m afraid.
Best bet: Man City 9+ corners at 11/10
City have this uncanny knack of getting exactly 10 corners in home games this season – they’ve done it in five of their seven games so far this season at the Etihad, with only Newcastle restricting them in the league. The Southampton game matches up nicely to others played against similar opposition so in a game with so much in City’s favour it’s about the best price you’ll get for something that’s such a regular occurrence.
Goal scorer: Sergio Aguero & Raheem Sterling both to score at 13/8
Take your pick here but you’re guessing with so many of these players even just on selection but these two are almost guaranteed to have chances in the game and so having them both in a double is about the safest play you’ve got.
RequestABet: Over 3.5 goals, 12+ match corners, Aguero to score, 40+ booking points at 14/1
Goals, corners and booking on the menu here and nothing up here would be a surprise and that's always the key when searching out good RABs. Southampton lost their discipline when well beaten by Chelsea and that could be a similar case on Sunday.
Man City v Southampton Opta stats
- Manchester City have won seven of their last nine Premier League meetings with Southampton, drawing one and losing one.
- In all competitions, Southampton are winless in their last eight visits to the Etihad (D1 L7) since winning their first ever match at the ground (3-1 in April 2004).
- Both of Man City’s wins against Southampton in the Premier League last season came courtesy of 90th minute winning strikes – Raheem Sterling in the home game and Gabriel Jesus away.
- Southampton have failed to score in their last five Premier League games – they have never failed to score in six consecutive top-flight games.
- Man City are looking to keep a clean sheet in seven consecutive league games for the first time in their entire history.
- Since returning to the Premier League in the 2012-13 season, Southampton have drawn 25 matches goalless – two more than any other side.
- Man City are unbeaten in all 19 Premier League matches when Aymeric Laporte has played (W17 D2 L0) – he has played more games without losing than any other player in the history of the competition, ending on the winning side in all 10 home games.
- Since the start of last season, Man City’s Raheem Sterling has scored 14 goals and assisted seven more in just 18 Premier League appearances at the Etihad Stadium.
- Man City goalkeeper Ederson has kept a clean sheet in each of his last six Premier League starts – the last goalkeeper to keep seven in a row was Edwin van der Sar in February 2009 (14 in a row).
- Among sides ever-present in the Premier League since Mark Hughes’ first game in charge of Southampton, only Huddersfield Town (1) have won fewer games than Saints (3) – in that same timeframe, opponents Man City have won the most games (14).